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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: coach · clip · wave · pound · current · stem · kick · lie

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — in football
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. current — of water
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wave — of the sea

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