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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — size or range
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. club — a group
  11. clip — for paper
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — to recline
  21. row — a line
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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