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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. press — newspapers
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. clip — a video
  21. wind — moving air
  22. clip — to cut
  23. press — to push
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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