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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wake — a trail
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cold — not warm
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — for golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — an illness
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pass — a permit

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