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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the fish
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chest — of your body
  5. current — electric
  6. kid — child
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bass — low music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. dip — to sink
  21. club — for golf
  22. chest — of your body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. chest — a box

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