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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — happening now
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. rock — a stone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — electric
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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