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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — a video
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — for paper
  14. game — a match
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitch — completely

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