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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — a video
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bank — of a river
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — boats
  24. wind — moving air

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