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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. clip — a video
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — the sport
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — to cut
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. bound — obliged

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