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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — in sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — of water
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. wave — with your hand

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