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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. club — for golf
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. club — for dancing
  20. net — in sport
  21. club — a group
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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