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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. clip — to cut
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. clip — a video
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. deal — to handle
  15. clip — for paper
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  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