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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — in control
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — army training
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. present — there
  11. charge — electricity
  12. snap — to click
  13. clip — a video
  14. drill — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spell — a short time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. scale — size or range
  23. present — a gift
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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