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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cold — an illness
  6. spring — of water
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — for digging
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. spring — the season
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — of water

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