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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — exactly

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