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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — for betting
  14. file — a document
  15. clip — to cut
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ball — a great time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. file — a tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. clip — a video
  24. squash — to crush

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