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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. clip — a video
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. drill — a practice

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