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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — a series
  7. toast — bread
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. vault — a safe
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. file — a line of people
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. current — electric
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. current — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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