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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.

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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. clip — a video
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. clip — to cut
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — in football
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. track — a song

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