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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 124 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 do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. spell — letters
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — a short time
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. toast — bread
  12. fine — high quality
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rock — a stone
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spell — magic
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — all right
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. clip — for paper
  21. board — to get on
  22. roll — a list
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — the animal

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