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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. club — a group
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — all right
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — a video
  12. club — for dancing
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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