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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. clip — a video
  5. season — of the year
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — in sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rule — government
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. suit — to fit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rule — a law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. roll — a list

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