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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. clip — a video
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — to get on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bound — tied together
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — hurry
  24. board — a committee

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