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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. firm — decided
  15. march — the month
  16. clip — a video
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cell — in biology
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — steady
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — high quality

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