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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cue — a signal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cue — a hint
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rash — a series
  19. clip — a video
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rash — hasty
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. clip — for paper

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