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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. content — the amount
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — letters
  6. content — happy
  7. spell — magic
  8. scale — in music
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. current — electric
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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