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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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: current · pop · wave · rest · kid · spring · chip · scale

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — electric
  3. spring — of water
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — for betting
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kid — child
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — the season
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — to tease
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — music

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