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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — in sport
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. swing — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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