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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 120 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 be taking the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — help
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — letters
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. press — to push
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hand — in cards
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — a container
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spell — a short time

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