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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stem — to come from
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — of water
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — all right
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — letters
  24. current — happening now

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