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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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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 · wave · straw · pound · wound · pop · rush · cap

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pop — music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — soda
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. current — of water
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — electric
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a lid
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wound — an injury

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