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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. clip — a video
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. racket — for tennis

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