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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. clip — a video
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. snap — to click

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