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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stem — of a plant

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