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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pop — soda
  23. rush — hurry
  24. clip — to cut

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