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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. clip — a video
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — for paper
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. firm — decided
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rush — a thrill

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