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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
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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: present · net · wave · rock · squash · clip · capital · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. squash — to crush
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. capital — a city
  15. present — a gift
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. present — there
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. net — after costs
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. clip — for paper

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