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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a hat
  7. snap — to click
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — the fish
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — of ice
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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