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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — of water
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — electric
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — in music
  17. fine — all right
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. charge — a price
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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