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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — letters
  3. clip — for paper
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. clip — a video
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rule — government
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cue — a signal

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