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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 · cold · file · bulb · stem · toast · pass · rock

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. file — a document
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. file — a tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — bread
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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