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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — happy
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish

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