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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. face — part of the head
  4. clip — a video
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. clip — to cut
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. firm — decided
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — of the year
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. clip — for paper
  24. squash — the sport

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