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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
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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: pass · current · wake · ball · cell · wave · mug · lean

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mug — to rob
  6. current — happening now
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. current — electric
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. current — of water
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mug — a face
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ball — a dance

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