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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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — for paper
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. firm — decided
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. clip — a video
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — steady
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. firm — a company
  24. rash — on the skin

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