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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: wound · foot · perch · racket · wake · cue · squash · clip

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wound — an injury
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. clip — a video
  8. squash — the sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. clip — to cut
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — a measure
  24. clip — for paper

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