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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bark — to shout
  5. row — a line
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. swing — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — to play on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  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