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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. shower — rain
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — electric
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. last — finally
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — on a finger

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