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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. present — there
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — the fish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — for paper
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. object — an aim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — a gift
  18. clip — to cut
  19. present — the time now
  20. plane — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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