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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: rash · clip · saw · degree · jam · board · net · wave

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rash — a series
  9. degree — from a university
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — temperature
  12. clip — to cut
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. net — for catching
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. clip — a video
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — the tool

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