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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — to get on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — the fish
  13. press — a publisher
  14. toast — bread
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. clip — a video
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — the sport

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