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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — tied together
  5. clip — to cut
  6. track — to keep track
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. track — a path
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. lean — thin
  14. clip — a video
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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