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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — a video
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — a path
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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