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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: pass · rule · chest · stem · face · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rule — a law
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stem — to come from

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