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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. tube — a container
  3. object — a thing
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. clip — for paper
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — a video
  9. object — to protest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mouse — the animal

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