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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. clip — to cut
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. clip — a video
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. toast — bread
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. toast — the most admired
  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