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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — a face
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spell — a short time
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. current — electric
  22. key — the most important part
  23. current — of water
  24. snap — to click

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