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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. clip — for paper
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. clip — a video

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