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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.

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: can · patient · clip · perch · cue · bark · rash · mouse

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. clip — a video
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — a tin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rash — hasty
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — a hint
  19. can — to be able to
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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