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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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. clip — for paper
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — the time now
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. present — a gift
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — low music
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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