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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 · capital · stick · lean · pop · staff · stem · mate

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lean — thin
  4. capital — a city
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stem — to come from
  11. capital — money
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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