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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. clip — to cut
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. plane — a tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. clip — a video
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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