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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. spring — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fine — all right
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. firm — steady
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. current — electric
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. spring — a coil
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. spring — the season
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  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