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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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. bear — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stem — to come from
  24. craft — a skill

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