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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. drill — a practice
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — a group
  15. hand — help
  16. current — of water
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. current — electric

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