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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. march — music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. march — the month
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — to fit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a dance
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — electric
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. current — of water
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — dry grass

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