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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — to point toward
  6. clip — a video
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — a publisher
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pit — in a race
  14. face — to confront
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — letters
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — magic
  20. press — to push
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — certain

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