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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. last — final
  8. ball — a great time
  9. current — happening now
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — goods
  17. kick — in football
  18. current — of water
  19. last — finally
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stock — shares

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