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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. firm — a company
  8. clip — a video
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to click
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — in cards
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hand — help
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — a stone

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