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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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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 · wind · pass · kid · firm · season · snap · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — electric
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to click
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. firm — steady
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kid — child
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. kid — to tease
  18. season — in sport
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pass — a permit
  23. current — of water
  24. wave — of the sea

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