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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — to come from
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — to cut

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