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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 116 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — of a river
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. clip — for paper
  14. last — to go on
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. last — finally
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — after costs
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — final
  23. clip — to cut
  24. net — for catching

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