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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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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. content — happy
  3. degree — temperature
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — of water
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. swing — music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — in golf
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spring — of water
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wave — of the sea

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