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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 120 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
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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: snap · wax · clip · wave · current · pop · swing · cabinet

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. current — of water
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — soda
  6. current — happening now
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. swing — music
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to click

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