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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a music group
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — of water
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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