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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · mouse · bear · wound · key · march · stem · clip

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. key — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — an injury
  22. clip — a video
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. key — for a lock

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