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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: capital · staff · stem · sharp · pass · lie · mouse · jam

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — to recline
  5. staff — a stick
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. capital — money
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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