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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. staff — employees
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. staff — a stick
  15. clip — a video
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to click

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