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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — of water
  5. last — final
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — happening now
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. current — electric
  20. last — finally
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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