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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — a video
  15. snap — to click
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chair — a leader
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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