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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mark · hide · bat · rule · wave · key · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — government
  5. current — of water
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — in sport
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — a law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — in music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. key — for a lock
  24. current — happening now

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