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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — a video
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bass — low music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pop — soda

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