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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
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Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — letters
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — in golf
  10. clip — to cut
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — music
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. clip — for paper

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