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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.

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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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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: current · sharp · drill · race · snap · wave · calf · face

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. snap — to click
  3. current — happening now
  4. race — humankind
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — of water
  15. race — the arms race
  16. face — part of the head
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. race — a contest
  19. face — to confront
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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