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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.

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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 · stick · pop · clip · straw · swing · rest · fine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. swing — music
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — to visit
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — all right
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — a video
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — high quality

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