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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — a video
  6. tear — from crying
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wake — a trail
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bear — 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