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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — to cut
  3. drill — army training
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. drill — a practice
  13. clip — a video
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — a song
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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