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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pound — a weight
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. present — a gift
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. present — there
  23. clip — a video
  24. 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