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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lean — thin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. squash — to crush
  10. clip — a video
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lean — to bend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — for a lock

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