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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — to cut
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — a line
  6. court — of a king
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. clip — a video
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — to confront
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rock — music
  24. bound — certain

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