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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. clip — a video
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — obliged

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