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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 120 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: cell · swing · march · fine · lie · pass · root · object

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — to recline
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — to protest
  10. root — the cause
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fine — all right
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — high quality
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — a phone

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