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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. scale — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rule — government
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — a video
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — a law
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. clip — for paper
  22. snap — to click
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rule — to rule out

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