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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. face — to confront
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — a measure
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. object — to protest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — an aim
  16. clip — a video
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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