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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — to visit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pop — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to click
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — happening now
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — soda
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — electric
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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