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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. staff — employees
  4. clip — a video
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. clip — for paper
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cue — for pool

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