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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — a video
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — of the sea

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