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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. object — a thing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. object — an aim
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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