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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · mug · racket · stick · clip · wound · stand · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. clip — a video
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — to bear
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — a face
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. face — to confront

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