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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. current — happening now
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — of water
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. current — electric

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