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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cold — an illness
  4. current — of water
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — happening now
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — a thing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — the fish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — electric
  13. object — to protest
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — a tool
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — an aim
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cold — not warm
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cold — the Cold War

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