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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: ball · wound · firm · snap · pass · clip · cabinet · lean

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a great time
  7. clip — to cut
  8. firm — a company
  9. lean — thin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — a video
  12. firm — decided
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — steady
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wound — an injury

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