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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — of the year
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — the fish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — soda
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — a video
  18. pop — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — in music
  24. lie — an untruth

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