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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cue — for pool
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. clip — a video
  17. mug — a face
  18. clip — for paper
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to click
  21. clip — to cut
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chest — a box
  24. rock — to move gently

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