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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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. bay — a part of the sea
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. suit — clothes
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. clip — for paper
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a path
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chest — a box
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chest — of your body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. scale — for weighing
  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