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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. clip — a video
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. band — a ring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stock — shares
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a music group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — in cards

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