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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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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: snap · can · clip · tube · cabinet · ball · content · fan

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. clip — a video
  3. content — the amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — happy
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fan — a supporter

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