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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. band — a music group
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — there

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