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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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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: row · game · firm · dip · board · clip · branch · wave

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — a division
  6. board — to get on
  7. game — a match
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — a video
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. clip — to cut
  13. firm — decided
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. clip — for paper
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a committee
  24. firm — a company

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