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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. object — a thing
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. present — the time now
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. object — an aim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. object — to protest
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — hurry
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — there

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