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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. clip — a video
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. drill — army training
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cue — a hint
  24. prune — to trim

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