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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. snap — to click
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mine — for digging
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — to bend
  11. current — electric
  12. march — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — happening now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lean — thin

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