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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bass — the fish
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. deal — to handle
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. vault — a safe
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — a video
  18. mug — a cup
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bass — low music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mug — to rob

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