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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · current · field · bowl · wave · arm · bark · object

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — hurry
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. field — a subject
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. field — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — happening now
  21. bark — to shout
  22. current — electric
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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