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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 · clip · bay · lie · club · bear · pit · spring

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. club — a group
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. clip — a video
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — the animal

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