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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. track — a song
  3. cue — a signal
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tear — from crying
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — for pool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — a cake
  17. clip — a video
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. firm — decided
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — a list
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — to roll

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