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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. clip — a video
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — for paper
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. clip — to cut
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — on a finger

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