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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — for pool
  4. present — the time now
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — a gift
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. present — there
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — a video
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rash — a series
  23. clip — to cut
  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