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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — to cut
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kick — in football
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. clip — a video
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — a committee
  16. cue — a hint
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cue — a signal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. branch — a division
  24. kick — with a leg

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