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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — a container
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. tube — the underground
  7. clip — a video
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. clip — to cut
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. clip — for paper
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. capital — money

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