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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fine — all right
  11. mark — a trace
  12. clip — a video
  13. swing — music
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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