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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — to go on
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. deal — to handle
  9. snap — to click
  10. last — final
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — of water
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. object — a thing
  23. kid — child
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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