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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — size or range
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. club — a group
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. clip — a video

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