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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. clip — a video
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. net — in sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. toast — bread
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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