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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pit — a hole
  7. current — electric
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — happening now
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. charge — a price
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — of water
  16. rash — a series
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — to turn a key

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