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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kick — in football
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. clip — to cut
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — a video
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — a subject

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