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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: current · dip · field · season · suit · stand · wave · tear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. field — a subject
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — to fit
  14. current — electric
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. suit — clothes
  18. season — of the year
  19. current — of water
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — farmland
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — a sauce

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