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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. current — of water
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — after costs
  7. current — electric
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fall — the season
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. net — for catching
  19. club — for golf
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — happy
  24. club — for dancing

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