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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · cap · arm · last · wake · rash · wave · pop

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — happening now
  5. last — final
  6. cap — a lid
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. last — finally
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pop — music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cap — a hat
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the body

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