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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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