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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. object — to protest
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. file — a document
  10. object — a thing
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a tool
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — happening now
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. file — a line of people
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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