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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. clip — a video
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. present — there
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. clip — to cut
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — a gift
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — the time now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fan — a supporter

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