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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pop — music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. clip — a video
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — soda
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — the most important part

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