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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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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: fine · dip · hand · snap · suit · clip · mug · prune

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. clip — to cut
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — help
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — to rob
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — in cards
  19. clip — a video
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — to fit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — clothes
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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