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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. clip — a video
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. cue — a hint
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. kick — in football
  20. clip — for paper
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cue — a signal

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