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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. clip — to cut
  4. staff — employees
  5. chest — a box
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — for paper
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — steady
  14. clip — a video
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. firm — decided
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — a stick

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