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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — final
  5. chip — to eat
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — to visit
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. clip — a video
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — soda
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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