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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bound — certain
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. clip — a video
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rest — a break

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