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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. current — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — electric
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — a practice
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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