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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hand — help
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. object — a thing
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. object — an aim

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