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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — happening now
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. row — to paddle
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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