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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. net — after costs
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — clothes
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. clip — a video
  15. suit — to fit
  16. clip — for paper
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — for catching
  23. can — to be able to
  24. calf — a young animal

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