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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. present — a gift
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — a video
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a great time
  13. present — the time now
  14. craft — a skill
  15. clip — for paper
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — a law
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — there
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. squash — the vegetable

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