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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 · board · wave · deal · net · current · trunk · coach

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. clip — a video
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — electric
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. clip — for paper
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — of water
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — to get on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. clip — to cut
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a committee

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