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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · cabinet · board · prune · temple · stock · clip · swing

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a committee
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. board — to get on
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — goods

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