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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tear — to rip
  17. current — of water
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — to point toward
  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