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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — a short time
  4. clip — a video
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. deal — to handle
  10. plane — a tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — in geometry

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