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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lean — thin
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bass — low music
  6. clip — a video
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fine — all right
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. march — the month
  15. season — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — of the year
  21. march — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. clip — to cut
  24. nail — for a hammer

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