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

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. current — electric
  11. rash — a series
  12. current — of water
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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