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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spring — of water
  14. spell — letters
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — magic
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — a break
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — before a funeral

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