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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rash — a series
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. game — a match
  21. rash — hasty
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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