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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. court — of a king
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — to push
  22. current — happening now
  23. court — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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