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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 124 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — a committee
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mark — a grade
  13. toast — bread
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — to get on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — a video
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. coach — a trainer

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