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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — electric
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — happening now

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