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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — the season
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. track — a song
  14. spring — a coil
  15. track — to keep track
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a path
  18. chip — for betting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chip — to eat

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