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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. clip — to cut
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. clip — a video
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — for paper
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cap — of ice
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tear — to rip

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