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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. clip — to cut
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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