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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 124 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. clip — a video
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. swing — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — in golf
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. swing — to play on
  24. clip — for paper

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