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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. season — of the year
  3. clip — for paper
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — a video
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — to protest
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — to push
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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