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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. board — to get on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. clip — to cut
  5. kid — to tease
  6. clip — a video
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — child
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  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