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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. charge — a price
  24. cue — a hint

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