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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cell — in biology
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — ground
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — a country
  24. season — of the year

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