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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.

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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: toast · present · wave · current · nail · spring · pound · content

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. content — happy
  3. current — electric
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spring — a coil
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — of water
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — happening now
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — there

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