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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. clip — a video
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rest — a break
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cue — a hint

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