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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. clip — for paper
  8. field — a subject
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. clip — a video
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — farmland

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