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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fine — all right
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — happening now
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a face
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — high quality

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