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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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