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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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. staff — employees
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kick — in football
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. track — a song
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. track — a path
  22. capital — money
  23. track — to keep track
  24. board — to get on

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