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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rest — what's left
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — a group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — with a leg

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