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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: pop · wound · lash · band · clip · game · wave · rule

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. clip — for paper
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — a match
  11. clip — a video
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a music group
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a ring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rule — a law
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pop — music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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