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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spell — magic
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. current — electric
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. capital — money
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — a city
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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