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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. clip — a video
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. swing — in golf
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — to cut
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rush — hurry
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. clip — for paper
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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