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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a great time
  9. club — a group
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. club — for golf

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