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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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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — an aim
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rock — music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — a video
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — a thing

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