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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. current — electric
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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