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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 116 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: cue · clip · present · calf · bowl · bound · degree · snap

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. bound — certain
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — a gift
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — the time now
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. clip — to cut
  15. present — there
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to click
  20. cue — a hint
  21. degree — from a university
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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