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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — electric
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — an aim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — a thing
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — to crush
  19. object — to protest
  20. current — of water
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mate — a friend
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — to breed

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