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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. club — a group
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. clip — a video
  24. rest — a break

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