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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 116 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: hide · rush · clip · wave · coach · current · mine · straw

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — for digging
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. clip — a video
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — an explosive

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