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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — clothes
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ball — a dance
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — a video
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. clip — to cut

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