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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — of a word
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. file — a line of people
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a document
  20. suit — clothes
  21. current — electric
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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