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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.

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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — a stick
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — for paper
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — a phone
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — part of the body

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