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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — there
  8. kick — in football
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — the time now
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — of the year
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. season — in sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. snap — to click
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — to protest
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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