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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bass — low music
  3. clip — a video
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. clip — for paper
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. file — a document
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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