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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. track — a song
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — a path
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ground — the earth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. dip — to sink

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