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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. content — happy
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — electric
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. content — the amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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