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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. clip — a video
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cue — a signal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to click
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cue — a hint
  18. clip — for paper
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  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