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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stem — to come from
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — to come down
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pass — a permit
  7. clip — a video
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — for paper
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stock — goods
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — a safe

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