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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — to keep track
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — a song
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — a video
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — to cut
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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