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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. clip — to cut
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — thin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. clip — for paper
  20. prune — to trim
  21. clip — a video
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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