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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lean — thin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. clip — a video
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. mug — a face
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — there
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — a gift
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cue — a signal

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