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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. swing — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. clip — to cut
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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