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

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — for betting
  8. club — for dancing
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — a group
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. clip — a video
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. current — of water
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — employees
  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