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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. current — of water
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ground — a position
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. snap — to click
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. degree — an amount
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. degree — temperature
  24. current — electric

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