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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bound — certain
  8. fine — all right
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tube — the underground
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pass — a permit

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