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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — for paper
  18. squash — the sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lie — to recline
  21. clip — a video
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. roll — a list

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