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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — soda
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. key — the most important part
  8. present — a gift
  9. vault — a safe
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. current — of water
  18. key — in music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — in geometry

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