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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — a box
  4. clip — a video
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. suit — in cards
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — in football
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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