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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: arm · object · mine · land · can · wave · current · pop

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. current — happening now
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — electric
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — an aim
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. current — of water
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — ground
  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