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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: bat · pass · stem · roll · rule · lean · mouse · chair

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rule — government
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. roll — a list
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — thin
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — for baseball

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