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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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468
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: wave · cap · ball · tube · season · rash · bore · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rash — a series
  16. season — in sport
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. current — electric

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