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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — a committee
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — a video
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. field — a subject
  16. season — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — to get on
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tear — from crying
  22. field — farmland
  23. season — of the year
  24. field — for sport

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