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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. clip — to cut
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — a video
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rush — hurry

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