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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. land — to come down
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. land — a country
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. clip — a video
  18. cap — of ice
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — the animal
  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