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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. staff — employees
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — the sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — a hat
  15. branch — a division
  16. race — the arms race
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — tied together
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stem — to come from

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