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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — a tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — tied together
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — for paper
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chest — a box
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bass — low music
  24. chest — of your body

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