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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. squash — the sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — low music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kick — in football
  10. bass — the fish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. clip — a video
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. clip — to cut
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kick — a thrill

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