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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — of a king
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — a measure
  10. court — of law
  11. roll — a list
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. snap — to click
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. clip — for paper
  20. roll — a cake
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. track — a path
  23. court — for sport
  24. clip — a video

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