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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 124 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. field — a subject
  4. clip — a video
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — a face
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mark — a trace
  13. field — farmland
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. field — for sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — exactly

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