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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. court — of a king
  3. capital — a city
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — happening now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of law
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. court — for sport
  17. capital — money
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a big letter

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