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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. swing — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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