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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. shower — rain
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. shower — to wash
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pit — a hole
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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