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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · stem · pass · net · row · fine · clip · bear

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. net — after costs
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. row — a line
  24. pass — a permit

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