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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 120 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: bay · present · snap · rash · nail · clip · squash · mouse

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. clip — a video
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rash — hasty
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. present — there

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