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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. stem — to come from
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. firm — decided
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. firm — a company
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — final
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. last — to go on
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — finally

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