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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. clip — a video
  3. firm — decided
  4. present — there
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rash — hasty
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. stem — to come from
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. firm — a company
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — a series

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