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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. object — a thing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. clip — a video
  5. season — of the year
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pop — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. clip — for paper
  12. object — to protest
  13. mug — a face
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. season — in sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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