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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.

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: current · wake · clip · wave · pop · stick · rash · ball

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. pop — soda
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. clip — a video
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. clip — to cut
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — of the sea
  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