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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. clip — a video
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. clip — to cut
  15. snap — to click
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — for catching
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mug — to rob
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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