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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — to be able to
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of a king
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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