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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. clip — a video
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mate — to breed
  13. clip — to cut
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. object — to protest
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — the animal

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