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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — a video
  4. face — part of the head
  5. clip — for paper
  6. face — to point toward
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to confront

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