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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to sink
  4. present — the time now
  5. bass — low music
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. key — for a lock
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the fish
  11. present — a gift
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. current — happening now
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. key — in music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — there
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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