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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — for paper
  6. present — there
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — the time now
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — a video

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