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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. object — an aim
  5. pit — in a race
  6. clip — to cut
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cap — a hat
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — to protest
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pit — a hole
  24. trunk — of a car

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