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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — happening now
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. row — a line
  9. wake — a trail
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — crushed
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — to drill
  22. file — a document
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a tool

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