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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. clip — a video
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — soda
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — to come from
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cap — a lid
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rest — what's left

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