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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. current — electric
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wind — moving air
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wind — to turn a key

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