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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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 — of the sea
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. sharp — clever
  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