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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stock — goods
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — electric
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — happening now
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. roll — a list
  23. stock — shares
  24. fan — a supporter

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