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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. spring — the season
  7. present — the time now
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spring — of water
  10. clip — a video
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. present — there
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. present — a gift
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lie — an untruth

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