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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bound — obliged
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a music group
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. clip — a video
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — to cut
  22. band — a ring
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bore — gave birth

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