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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. last — finally
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — final
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. last — to go on
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. rush — hurry

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