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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. clip — to cut
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. court — of law
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. court — of a king
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. clip — for paper
  24. deal — a big deal

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