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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — there
  5. file — a tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — to cut
  13. present — the time now
  14. clip — for paper
  15. file — a document
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — a gift
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rash — hasty
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — a series
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — the animal

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