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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — a grade
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chest — a box
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bulb — for light

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