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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. vault — a safe
  3. current — electric
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — of water
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. current — happening now
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. row — a line
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wave — of the sea

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