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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. clip — for paper
  4. snap — to click
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — of water
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kick — in football
  24. clip — a video

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