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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — happening now
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — in control
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — electric
  13. clip — to cut
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. clip — a video
  20. charge — electricity
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. arm — a part of something

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