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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. current — of water
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. roll — a cake
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. firm — decided
  18. shower — rain
  19. roll — a list
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rest — a break
  24. shower — to wash

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