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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bat — the animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. club — for golf
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — a group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a hint
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lie — an untruth

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