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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. clip — to cut
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — a division
  5. clip — for paper
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — to come from
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. land — to come down
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. clip — a video
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. deal — to handle
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — a horse colour

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