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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — a video
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — to handle
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. row — a line

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