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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. clip — a video
  9. squash — to crush
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — the fish
  18. last — final
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. clip — to cut
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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