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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — a group
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. club — for golf

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