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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — rain
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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