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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. firm — decided
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. firm — steady
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fall — the season
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — of water
  23. firm — a company
  24. fall — to drop

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