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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chest — a box
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — hasty
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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