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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — to cut
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — in football
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. ball — a great time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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