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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. clip — a video
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — in control
  8. kick — in football
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. root — the cause
  14. spell — a short time
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — to cut
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. clip — for paper
  23. arm — part of the body
  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