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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — electric
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fall — the season
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. current — of water
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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