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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. clip — a video
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. charge — electricity
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — in control
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. clip — to cut

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