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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. clip — a video
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — to handle
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. branch — a division
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. branch — of a bank

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