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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. clip — for paper
  3. dip — to sink
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — a video
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mate — a partner
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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