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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 116 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 · wind · race · kid · pass · present · lie · clip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. clip — a video
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — a gift
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. race — humankind
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — a contest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kid — child
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — there
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pass — a permit
  21. present — the time now
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lie — an untruth

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