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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — electric
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a ring
  5. file — a line of people
  6. key — for a lock
  7. season — of the year
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. band — a music group
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — for pool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. current — of water
  16. season — in sport
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. band — a rubber band

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