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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spring — of water
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — a video
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pop — music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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