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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fine — all right
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for golf
  14. bank — of a river
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. shower — rain
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — magic
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. shower — to wash

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