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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. clip — a video
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a hat
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. suit — clothes
  23. clip — to cut
  24. leaves — of a tree

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