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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — all right
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. clip — to cut
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. toast — bread
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mug — a cup
  11. clip — a video
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — for a lock
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wound — an injury
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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