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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rest — a break
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — certain
  12. clip — a video
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — for paper
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — a signal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. clip — to cut

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