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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: firm · march · sharp · lean · pass · cap · stem · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — to come from
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — of ice
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stem — a stem cell

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