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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bound — tied together
  7. charge — electricity
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — low music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lie — to recline
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — a price
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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