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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: wake · fine · swing · bound · wave · kid · pitcher · clip

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — to cut
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fine — all right
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kid — to tease
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bound — certain

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