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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. staff — a stick
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — clothes
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — to fit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. clip — a video
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — employees
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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