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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bass — low music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rush — hurry

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