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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — for sport
  3. content — the amount
  4. band — a music group
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. band — a ring
  24. field — a subject

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