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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.

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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — happening now
  13. content — happy
  14. rest — a break
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — the amount

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