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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. clip — to cut
  3. toast — bread
  4. clip — a video
  5. file — a tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — an amount
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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