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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — size or range
  20. clip — a video
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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