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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. clip — a video
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — the season
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the fish
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — to drop

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