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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — to go on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. last — finally
  10. pound — a weight
  11. last — final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — the fish
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. clip — a video
  24. stand — to bear

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