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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pop — to visit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cell — in biology
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. current — electric
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — to come down
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — music
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — ground

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