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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. bark — to shout
  22. clip — for paper
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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