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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · safe · rock · lash · current · perch · field · spell

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — happening now
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — farmland
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. field — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rock — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — of water

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