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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — completely
  3. current — of water
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. current — happening now
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chair — a leader

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