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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — to wash
  12. current — of water
  13. mine — for digging
  14. shower — rain
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pop — music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lash — to lash out

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