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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fall — to drop
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitch — completely
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — all right
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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