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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: rest · stem · rule · fall · mine · pass

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. pass — to succeed
  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