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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. club — for golf
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — a group
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fall — the season
  23. cue — for pool
  24. clip — a video

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