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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
468
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: clip · stem · present · board · pop · pass · lean · mate

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lean — thin
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mate — a partner
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. present — the time now
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — there

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