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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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468
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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — a stone
  4. clip — a video
  5. rest — a break
  6. rock — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — the fish
  11. clip — for paper
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — in a road
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bass — low music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — to go away

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