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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — a video
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. current — happening now
  13. wake — a trail
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — in golf
  16. roll — a cake
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — a list
  24. clip — for paper

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