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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mug — a face
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — a cup

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