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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. clip — a video
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pop — music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — to cut
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bass — low music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mug — a face

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