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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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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. track — a song
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — high quality
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — a tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. track — a path
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. track — to keep track
  22. clip — a video
  23. board — to get on
  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