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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — music
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bound — certain
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. clip — a video

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