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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. clip — to cut
  22. snap — to click
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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