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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — for paper
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. clip — a video
  13. race — a contest
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. present — a gift
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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