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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pop — music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. clip — a video
  20. pop — soda
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. squash — the sport

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