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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 120 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — to cut
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rest — a break
  10. clip — a video
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — of a word
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. clip — for paper

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