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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · fan · spell · mug · hand · rush · ball · foot

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — hurry
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mug — a cup
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — magic
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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