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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — a partner
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — boats
  24. wind — to turn a key

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