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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — child
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mark — to pay attention

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