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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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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 · pit · foot · saw · shower · wave · mark · chest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — of your body
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. saw — the tool
  19. foot — a measure
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chest — a box

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