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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. spell — magic
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to click
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — with a leg

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