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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: stick · cabinet · nail · fan · clip · cap · cue · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a lid
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cue — a signal

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