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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. object — a thing
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — to protest
  12. snap — to click
  13. clip — a video
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. object — an aim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. patient — a sick person

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