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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lean — thin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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