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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. board — to get on
  3. clip — a video
  4. spring — a coil
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. spring — of water
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — a grade
  15. snap — to click
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — the season
  19. clip — for paper
  20. firm — steady
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — low music

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