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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: lean · current · game · jam · wave · wound · mug · foot

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — a measure
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a cup

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