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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. clip — for paper
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a great time

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