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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — finally
  9. craft — boats
  10. current — electric
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — of water
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. shower — rain
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chair — a leader
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. craft — a skill
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — with your hand

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