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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. firm — a company
  3. current — electric
  4. hand — in cards
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. current — of water
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — temperature
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rule — government
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. firm — decided

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