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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — a video
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the fish

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