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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — electric
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — of water
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. current — happening now

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