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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — a video
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kid — child
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mug — a cup
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mug — a face
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — to rob

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