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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. clip — to cut
  3. present — there
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. clip — a video
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to click
  11. present — a gift
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spell — letters
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — for paper
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. suit — clothes

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