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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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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: clip · wave · pound · cabinet · safe · board · fan · race

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — a committee
  12. pound — a weight
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. clip — a video
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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