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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. foot — a measure
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — a video
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cue — for pool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cue — a hint
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — out of danger

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