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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — a phone
  13. last — finally
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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