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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. charge — in control
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. clip — for paper
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wound — an injury
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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