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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — a short time
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — after costs
  10. current — electric
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — of water
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. firm — decided
  22. degree — from a university
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — happening now

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