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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — to rip
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. spring — the season
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. current — happening now
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — magic
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — a coil
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — to fit
  24. can — to be able to

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