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

Word bank: wave · row · calf · pitch · snap · clip · ruler · track

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — a line
  13. clip — a video
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — completely
  16. track — a song
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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