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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. clip — for paper
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chair — a leader
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — to sit on

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