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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — a video
  12. scale — size or range
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — in music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. swing — in golf
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — with your hand

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