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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: mate · scale · roll · bound · cabinet · stem · saw · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a partner
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — certain
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mate — to breed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pass — a permit
  24. 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