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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. band — a music group
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — of the year
  10. firm — steady
  11. season — in sport
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rule — government
  14. firm — a company
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — decided
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. clip — for paper
  24. band — a ring

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