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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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Word bank
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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: hide · clip · mouse · season · roll · object · rush · wind

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. clip — for paper
  4. object — a thing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. roll — a list
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. clip — a video
  9. rush — hurry
  10. clip — to cut
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. object — to protest

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