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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: mouse · saw · bark · toast · wake · mine · clip · net

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — for digging
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bark — to shout
  20. toast — bread
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. net — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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