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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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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: cap · prune · pass · cell · stand · stem · deal · present

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — a gift
  10. cell — in biology
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cap — a hat
  23. deal — an agreement
  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