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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — a container
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. clip — a video
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — in a race
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rule — a law
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rule — government
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tube — the underground

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