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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — in sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — electric
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. current — of water
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ruler — for measuring

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