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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — a video
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tear — from crying
  8. squash — the sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tear — to rip
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fine — all right
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. clip — to cut
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fine — high quality

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