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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · leaves · last · clip · mug · wave · dip · kid

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — a face
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — of the year
  12. last — finally
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. season — in sport
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. clip — to cut
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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