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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chest — a box
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. band — a music group
  10. chest — of your body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — happening now
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pass — a permit
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wind — moving air

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