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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. current — electric
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rest — a break
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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