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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. present — there
  7. land — a country
  8. present — a gift
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. present — the time now
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — to wash
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — of the sea
  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