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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — an aim
  6. clip — a video
  7. object — to protest
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — a thing
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bound — tied together
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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