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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — obliged
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — soda
  9. present — there
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — electric
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — a video
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — of water
  22. pop — music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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