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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a friend
  24. current — happening now

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