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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: charge · bound · tube · clip · net · perch · wave · board

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — a container
  9. clip — a video
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — a price
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. charge — in control
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — the underground
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — after costs
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bound — certain

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