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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — a short time
  12. content — the amount
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rash — a series
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. content — videos and posts

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