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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: current · wave · roll · arm · hide · leaves · club · clip

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. club — a group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. club — for dancing
  5. current — electric
  6. clip — to cut
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. roll — a list
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. current — happening now
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — of water
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  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