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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. clip — to cut
  3. firm — a company
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — steady
  8. object — an aim
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — for paper
  16. march — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — a measure

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