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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. net — after costs

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