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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · rock · rash · plane · cold · spell · stem · pass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — a series
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — a short time

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