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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bat — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. clip — a video
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. safe — out of danger

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