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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mug — to rob
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pound — a weight
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to click
  22. saw — the tool
  23. clip — a video
  24. pound — to hit hard

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