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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fall — the season
  4. swing — music
  5. current — electric
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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