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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — help
  6. board — to get on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a face
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — music
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — to rob

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