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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. present — there
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. present — the time now
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. clip — a video
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. clip — to cut
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rock — music
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cue — a hint
  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