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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. object — a thing
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — an aim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. clip — for paper
  17. squash — to crush
  18. foot — a measure
  19. band — a ring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — the sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a music group
  24. fan — to cool the air

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