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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. dip — to sink
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a document
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — in sport
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bound — certain
  12. suit — clothes
  13. file — a tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — after costs
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — for paper
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — for catching

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