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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — hurry
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — money
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a committee
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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