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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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. cue — a signal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fine — a penalty

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