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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bass — low music
  6. board — to get on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stem — of a plant

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