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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — of water
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bound — certain
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. current — happening now
  23. bound — obliged
  24. clip — a video

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