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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — thin
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — in cards
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hand — help
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitch — completely

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