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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — in control
  5. firm — decided
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — steady
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — a company
  17. current — happening now
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — electric
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cell — a phone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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