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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — a video
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bass — low music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a line
  18. bass — the fish
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — of the sea

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