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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
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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 · lean · wound · cue · cell · mug · rock · cabinet

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — a video
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cue — a hint
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a face
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mug — a cup
  24. clip — to cut

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