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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.

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: rock · toast · racket · bark · foot · clip · squash · bore

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bark — to shout
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — the sport
  21. toast — bread
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — to crush

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