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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — a stone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. clip — a video

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