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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — in cards
  11. clip — for paper
  12. present — a gift
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — in music
  16. present — there
  17. hand — help
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — to fit

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