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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bound — tied together
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. fine — high quality
  10. race — a contest
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — of water

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