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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: lie · game · stick · rush · can · stem · ground · pass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a match
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — a position

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