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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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Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. clip — to cut
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. clip — a video
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. clip — for paper
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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