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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. object — a thing
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. object — an aim
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. suit — clothes
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. object — to protest
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — an agreement

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