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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. cue — a signal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — to eat with

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