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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a signal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — for paper
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cue — a hint
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cue — for pool

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