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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · rush · safe · game · bore · cue · fork · clip

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. clip — to cut
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — a video
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. game — a kind of play

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