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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. game — wild animals
  4. clip — a video
  5. file — a line of people
  6. kick — in football
  7. file — a document
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — for paper
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bear — to put up with

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