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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 116 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — of water
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kick — in football
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bat — the animal

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