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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — thin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — to bear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — a video
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — for paper
  24. arm — part of the body

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