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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — help
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. firm — decided
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — steady
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. saw — the tool
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. clip — a video
  23. firm — a company
  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