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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: fine · clip · jam · last · mate · object · firm · squash

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. last — to go on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — to cut
  6. object — an aim
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mate — a partner
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. mate — to breed
  15. firm — a company
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. object — a thing
  18. fine — all right
  19. object — to protest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mate — a friend
  24. clip — a video

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