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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
468
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: fan · snap · key · mate · hand · clip · suit · nail

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — to fit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — in cards
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. clip — for paper
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a friend
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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