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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to point toward
  6. clip — a video
  7. face — to confront
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. clip — for paper
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rule — a law
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rule — government

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