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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · bear · current · dip · wake · swing · suit · field

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. dip — to sink
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. field — for sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — a subject
  15. current — happening now
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. swing — in golf
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bear — to put up with

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