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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — a lid
  13. clip — a video
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bark — to shout
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cap — of ice

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