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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. scale — in music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — size or range
  14. clip — a video
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — to cut

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