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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. clip — to cut
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. clip — a video
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — for pool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. suit — to fit

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