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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 116 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: stem · content · pass · wound · lie · fine · present · leaves

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. content — the amount
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — happy
  8. present — there
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. present — the time now
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — a gift
  24. wound — an injury

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