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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rush — hurry
  3. clip — to cut
  4. swing — music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lean — thin
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. clip — for paper
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — for golf
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. club — for dancing
  24. plane — an aircraft

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