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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: wave · face · jam · bat · march · rock · calf · current

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — music
  11. face — to confront
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — of water
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. current — happening now
  18. rock — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bat — for baseball

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