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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bound — tied together
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — the underground
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — a video
  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