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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. firm — decided
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — steady
  18. rest — what's left
  19. firm — a company
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — a leader
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. bass — low music

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