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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lean — thin
  10. board — a committee
  11. clip — to cut
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. can — to be able to
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. present — there
  24. can — a tin

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