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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. clip — to cut
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — a song
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. clip — a video
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chip — for betting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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