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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pop — soda
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. club — for golf
  16. pop — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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