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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — for pool
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — to cut
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a great time
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cue — a signal
  21. clip — a video
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — thin
  24. prune — the fruit

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