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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. staff — employees
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — in music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. clip — a video
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — a grade
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bass — low music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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