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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: clip · bass · fan · mate · board · wound · wave · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — to breed
  3. clip — a video
  4. board — to get on
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mate — a friend
  7. board — a committee
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — a flat piece

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