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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. clip — a video
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — to come from
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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