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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — a path
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — a video
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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