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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. current — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — a face
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spring — the season
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — electric
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — a series
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spring — a coil
  24. leaves — of a tree

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