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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — there
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. clip — a video
  24. arm — part of the body

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