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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. clip — a video
  10. cue — a signal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — a tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. game — a match
  24. rock — music

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