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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: ground · pop · wave · patient · tear · jam · straw · current

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ground — a position
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. current — electric
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pop — to visit
  18. current — happening now
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tear — from crying

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