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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. club — a group
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a signal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — for golf
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. clip — a video
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. club — for dancing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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