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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — for paper
  8. firm — steady
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. clip — to cut
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. clip — a video
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. firm — decided
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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