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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — a break
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pop — to visit
  20. last — final
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — soda

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