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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fall — the season
  4. last — final
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — in biology
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — of water
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — a phone

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