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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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Word bank
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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: clip · squash · drill · present · wake · dip · cue · pop

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — for pool
  4. present — a gift
  5. clip — a video
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — music
  12. present — there
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pop — soda
  16. dip — to sink
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — a trail
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — the vegetable

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