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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: pass · fan · current · face · jam · stem · coach · bulb

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — electric
  7. face — to confront
  8. current — of water
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. current — happening now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — of a plant

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