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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fall — the season
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — the time now
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. current — of water
  13. present — there
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — a series
  21. tube — a container
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  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