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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. firm — decided
  3. clip — a video
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — in music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mark — a trace
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. firm — a company
  18. kid — child
  19. firm — steady
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — for a lock
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. clip — for paper

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