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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. clip — to cut
  5. swing — in golf
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — music
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. swing — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — to play on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — clothes

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