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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — low music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — to crush
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — hurry
  14. clip — a video
  15. capital — money
  16. clip — for paper
  17. squash — the sport
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. capital — a city
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rock — to move gently

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