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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — to push
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. field — a subject
  9. shower — to wash
  10. roll — a list
  11. field — for sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — a cake
  16. press — newspapers
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — farmland
  22. current — electric
  23. shower — rain
  24. fan — a supporter

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