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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — for pool
  3. clip — a video
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spell — letters
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — magic
  17. roll — a cake
  18. clip — to cut
  19. roll — a list
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — for paper
  22. spell — a short time
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. trunk — of a car

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