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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — bread
  4. bore — to drill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. clip — a video
  24. leaves — lets stay

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