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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — happening now
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — of water
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. dip — a sauce

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