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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — a video
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitch — completely
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitch — a sports field

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