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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. clip — a video
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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