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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — a list
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — to bear
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mug — a face
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. current — happening now
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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