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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — thin
  8. scale — in music
  9. clip — a video
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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