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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fall — the season
  3. clip — a video
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. key — in music
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. object — to protest
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — the most important part
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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