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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — to cut
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. clip — a video
  5. present — there
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. plane — a tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rock — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stem — to come from
  18. suit — to fit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. stem — of a plant

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