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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spring — a coil
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rock — music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. mug — a face
  24. clip — for paper

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