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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — to cut
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — for money

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