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

Word bank: pit · rest · stem · branch · pass · tear

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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. pit — a hole
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rest — a break

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