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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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — in sport
  9. current — electric
  10. track — a path
  11. current — happening now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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