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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — in sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — of water
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pop — soda

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