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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. clip — a video
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hand — in cards

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