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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. clip — for paper
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — a video
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — to come from
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cap — a hat

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