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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. snap — to click

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