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

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — a committee
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. band — a ring
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — to get on
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pound — to hit hard

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