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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: vault · cabinet · clip · lash · wave · current · roll · pound

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. roll — a list
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. roll — a cake
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. current — happening now
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. current — of water
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. current — electric
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. clip — for paper

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