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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — the cause
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. current — electric
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. current — happening now
  16. ground — a position
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ground — crushed
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. ground — the earth
  24. straw — dry grass

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