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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pop — soda
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — in cards
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spell — magic
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com