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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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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: fan · track · firm · dip · clip · hand · wave · coach

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a path
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — help
  14. track — to keep track
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. clip — a video
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. clip — to cut

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