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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — to cut
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — to protest
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. swing — to play on
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — a video
  21. swing — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stand — to bear

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