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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — of water
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fan — to cool the air

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