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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.

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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — happy
  3. current — electric
  4. hand — help
  5. club — a group
  6. staff — employees
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. club — for golf
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — hurry
  11. content — the amount
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — a stick
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wave — with your hand

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