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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — in cards
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — for sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a face
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — of law
  10. mug — to rob
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — a cup
  17. face — to point toward
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — to get on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. clip — for paper
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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