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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — a country
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fork — in a road
  18. land — to come down
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — ground
  22. clip — a video
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — to bend

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