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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — happening now
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. march — music
  5. clip — a video
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. current — of water
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. clip — for paper
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — electric
  16. stock — shares
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — to bear

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