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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · current · toast · present · wound · chair · wave · fan

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. present — a gift
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. toast — bread
  12. present — there
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — a professorship

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