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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. clip — a video
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stem — a stem cell

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