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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. dip — to sink
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — a video
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — in cards
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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