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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · staff · bay · squash · fan · march · suit · cell

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. clip — to cut
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — to fit
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — music
  9. clip — for paper
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cell — a phone
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cell — in biology
  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