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

Word bank: snap · sharp · fine · bank · wave · toast · court · clip

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — all right
  3. court — of law
  4. clip — a video
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. toast — bread
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. snap — to click
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — for sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. court — of a king

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