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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. clip — to cut
  3. staff — a stick
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. board — a committee
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. cue — a signal
  19. clip — a video
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cue — a hint
  22. staff — employees
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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