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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. suit — to fit
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — a video
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ball — a dance

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