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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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — in music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — tied together
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. clip — a video
  20. cue — a signal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tube — a container
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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