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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. row — a line
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. band — a ring
  19. suit — clothes
  20. band — a music group
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — to paddle

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