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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chair — a leader

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