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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. clip — a video

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