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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. clip — a video
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spell — letters
  16. rash — a series
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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