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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · rush · kick · clip · bass · wind · rock · fan

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. clip — a video
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rock — a stone
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bass — low music
  19. rock — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. board — a committee
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — with a leg

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