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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — a path
  4. mark — a trace
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — for paper
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. track — a song
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. clip — a video
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. press — a publisher
  24. perch — for a bird

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