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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — to get on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. board — a committee
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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