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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. clip — a video
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to sink
  14. club — a group
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lie — to recline
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. row — a quarrel

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