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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — the fruit
  9. snap — to click
  10. can — to be able to
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. current — electric
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bark — to shout

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