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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. last — final
  3. current — of water
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fork — in a road
  8. last — to go on
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a match
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lie — to recline

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