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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — to cut
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. clip — for paper
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. ball — a great time

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