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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a ring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. drill — army training

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