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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — clever
  5. clip — for paper
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — to come down
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — a country
  24. can — a tin

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