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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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