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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pop — soda
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. clip — a video
  13. tube — a container
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rest — a break

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