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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — of a king
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — for sport

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