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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 116 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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — a video
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rest — what's left
  24. clip — for paper

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