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

Word bank: suit · wind · cabinet · wave · clip · coach · club · snap

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. club — a group
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. snap — to click
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. suit — clothes
  14. club — for golf
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. clip — a video
  17. wind — moving air
  18. clip — to cut
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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