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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — of water
  6. clip — to cut
  7. dip — to sink
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — happening now
  24. staff — a stick

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