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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — certain
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — for sport
  16. clip — a video
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — of law
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — obliged
  24. clip — to cut

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