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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. clip — for paper
  7. craft — a skill
  8. board — a committee
  9. clip — a video
  10. cue — a hint
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — decided
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rest — a break
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — a signal
  23. firm — steady
  24. cue — for pool

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