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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — a face
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — help
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — to rob
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. clip — to cut
  24. racket — for tennis

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