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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. clip — for paper
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. track — a path
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. clip — to cut
  18. scale — size or range
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. clip — a video

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