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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — finally
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — of a king
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a partner
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. current — happening now
  24. leaves — to go away

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