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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — to hurry

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