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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. clip — a video
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. clip — for paper
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — tied together
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bound — certain

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