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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. current — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — a position
  7. bark — to shout
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. board — to get on
  11. roll — a list
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. shower — rain
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. board — a committee
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — a cake
  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