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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 · snap · wind · net · current · bore · board

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. board — to get on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — in sport
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — after costs
  17. current — electric
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — of water
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. net — for catching

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