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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — a gift
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — a weight
  11. present — there
  12. march — music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. club — for dancing
  18. march — the month
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — a hat

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