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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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Word bank
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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: key · stem · pass · mark · lean · staff · rush · foot

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stem — to come from
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. staff — employees
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — thin

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