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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. clip — a video
  18. snap — to click
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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