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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pit — a hole
  15. clip — a video
  16. rest — a break
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — in a race
  24. dip — to dunk

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