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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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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: clip · pitcher · mate · mark · rule · wave · mug · swing

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mate — to breed
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mark — a grade
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rule — government
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — a law

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