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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — temperature
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — happening now
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — electric
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tube — the underground
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. current — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — in football

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