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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 124 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ball — a great time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a dance
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — a big deal

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