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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. board — to get on
  3. club — for golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — to push
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — newspapers
  9. clip — a video
  10. swing — music
  11. club — a group
  12. board — a committee
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. club — for dancing
  15. swing — in golf
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pop — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wave — with your hand

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