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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 120 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
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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 · saw · wave · capital · pop · plane · calf · pound

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. pound — a weight
  8. capital — a city
  9. plane — a tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. clip — a video
  14. pop — soda
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pop — to visit
  23. clip — to cut
  24. calf — a young animal

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