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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. present — the time now
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — thin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — there
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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