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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. game — a match
  7. current — electric
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — happening now
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — wild animals
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — of water

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