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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bear — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — a video
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — hurry
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rest — a break

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