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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. clip — a video
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. net — for catching
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — in football
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bound — certain
  20. net — after costs
  21. clip — for paper
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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