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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chest — of your body
  8. snap — to click
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — for paper
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. clip — a video
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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