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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. clip — a video
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — decided
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. present — there
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — a company
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — a gift
  22. clip — for paper
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — steady

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