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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — a trace
  11. clip — a video
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ball — a great time
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ball — a dance
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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