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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. roll — a list
  4. row — to paddle
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. present — the time now
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pound — a weight
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — a gift
  19. current — of water
  20. present — there
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. current — electric

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