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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — electric

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