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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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468
Word bank
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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — to cut
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — an aim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. clip — a video
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — a thing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — to protest
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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