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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bass — the fish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. last — final
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. degree — an amount
  24. current — of water

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