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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — a song
  4. season — of the year
  5. rock — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — of water
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mine — for digging
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. track — a path
  23. season — in sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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