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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. clip — a video
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — magic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — in cards
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — letters
  20. suit — clothes
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — low music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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