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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — for golf
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. club — a group
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. face — to confront
  20. rest — a break
  21. object — to protest
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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