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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. land — to come down
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — a country
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rock — music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — army training
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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