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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. current — of water
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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