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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. object — to protest
  3. rule — government
  4. swing — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — an aim
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. swing — to play on
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — to visit
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — music

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