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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — size or range
  4. clip — a video
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. clip — to cut

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