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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. clip — to cut
  4. deal — to handle
  5. clip — a video
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — to fit
  14. clip — for paper
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spell — magic
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spell — letters

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