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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. staff — a stick
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — bread
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — before a funeral

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