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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cap — a hat
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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