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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wake — a trail
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — to confront
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. face — to point toward
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. clip — a video
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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