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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. current — electric
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — happening now
  19. cap — of ice
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cap — a hat
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — of water

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