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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — the fish
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. key — for a lock
  11. suit — clothes
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — thin
  23. hand — part of the body
  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