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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — to bend
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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