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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · safe · cue · bay · wind · clip · wake · perch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — a signal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — for pool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — out of danger

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