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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — to cut
  9. spring — of water
  10. clip — for paper
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spring — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spring — a coil

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