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

Word bank: cap · deal · kid · wave · land · chair · current · bay

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — to come down
  11. kid — child
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — a country
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cap — of ice

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