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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — to rip
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. land — ground
  24. tear — from crying

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