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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — hasty
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bore — to drill
  24. plane — in geometry

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