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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. rash — a series
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — electric
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. degree — from a university
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. current — happening now
  23. cell — in biology
  24. current — of water

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