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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — a price
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a match
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — happening now
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. current — of water
  19. charge — in control
  20. club — a group
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wake — a trail

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