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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — for paper
  9. row — a line
  10. rest — a break
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stem — to come from
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rest — what's left
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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