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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. current — happening now
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. current — electric
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mug — a face
  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