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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. clip — for paper
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. clip — a video
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — for a bird

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