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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rash — a series
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — steady
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — to come down
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. firm — a company
  14. clip — a video
  15. land — ground
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — letters
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a cup

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