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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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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: wave · last · swing · bound · face · clip · saw · bulb

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. last — finally
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — final
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. last — to go on
  16. clip — for paper
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — in golf
  19. clip — to cut
  20. face — to point toward
  21. swing — to play on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bulb — of a plant

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